bers, and told them they must go to the hall, before my lord and the council. They all went with him, and when they came into the hall, they were placed within the rails before the council, being set there without the president. There gathered in a great number of people, and then were all the doors of the hall shut up, and presently after, Mr. Palmer, chancellor of St. Peter's church, in York, and a great preacher, began a prayer, and afterwards took his text out of the 24th psalm, and fell to talking. The prisoners were astonished at the strangeness of this matter, and (the place admitting of no consultation,) they knew not

what to do.

After a while, all being quiet, the doors were set open; and Mr. Stillington rose up and went down, and one Mr. Robert Hallely went after him, and they proffered to go forth of the doors, but the keeper shut them again, and then they returned to the rest of their company. When the sermon was ended, Mr. Stillington went to the council, and said, the keeper had deceived them, for he told them of no sermon, but that they must all appear there, before my lord. He said farther that he was very loth to offend them, but yet in discharge of his conscience, he must let them know, that he would not hear their sermons. One of the council asked him, if he would there make a protestation? and whether he spoke for himself or for all his company? He answered, that he spoke of himself; and then all the rest of the company cried, that they were all of the same mind with him. The preacher also turned towards him, and said, he had spoken nothing but the truth. Mr. Stillington replied, that he had spoken falsely, and that he himself, could show the same. Here the prisoners began to take heart to them, which the council perceiving, grew very angry with Mr. Stillington, and broke up all further talk and departed.

CHAP. III. The prisoners' behaviour and speeches at the second sermon. UPON Sunday following, being the 16th of December, the keeper called them all down, and would have had them all to the hall, as he did the other day, but they all refused to go with him; and then he caused his servants, and other fellows, to take them, one by one, and draw them to the hall; and straight after, came my lord and the council.

After they were set upon the bench, Sir George Rains, (an old priest there amongst them,) rose up, and went towards my lord, and all the company followed after him, and they all made suit to his lordship, to give them leave to depart, for that it was against their conscience to hear their sermons; and, if he thought they suffered not enough for their conscience's sake, to impose what more as pleased him. His lordship stood up and spoke very sharply unto them, and, in a manner of an oration, told them, that the state had long borne with them, and that they had been long invited by fair means; that they had also been urged by punishments; all which failing, he would, at last, according to the parable in St. Luke's gospel, compel them to hear the word.-(c. xiv.) He also spoke much of the disobedience of catholics, and omitted not to touch the ordinary faults objected against them, also of their imprisonment and suffering, and made it a light thing, and said, that they lived

there very pleasantly, and under that colour increased their wealth, and that they were as well there, in prison, as at Stevenson's ordinary, in the city.

When his lordship had ended, and they put out of all hope in this manner, they all turned away, and went forth to the place, with as much haste as they could, but it availed them nothing, for the keeper's and my lord's men, hauled them in again, with greater rigour than before. Then fell they of murmuring and making a noise, some in one manner, and some in another, to interrupt the preacher. My lord stood up again, and commanded silence; and presently the preacher began the sermon upon the same text he handled the day before, thinking to repair his credit, by showing, that Eutyches was a favourite of Apollinaris's heresy, as though he might be baptised in that heresy.

When the sermon was ended, Mr. Stillington went to my lord, and Mr. Middleton went with him, and all the rest of the company followed. He desired his honour to consider of them, that they were men, and that it is meet they were suffered to be their own guides: it was strange, and very grievous unto them, to be forced against their wills and consciences. And to this effect, he urged my lord earnestly. Mr. Middleton, in the mean space, spoke unto Mr. Heskett, one of the council, and said, sir, you know the law, speak, I beseech you, if it be not against the laws of the realm to use us thus, being punished otherwise for our refusal of going to church? But Mr. Heskett would give him no answer to his demand.

The prisoners complained, that day, of injury for being so hauled against their consciences, and my lord himself answered them, and told them, (as the council had done the day before,) that he knew well enough that it was against their will to be present at their sermons, and that it could be no sin in them, for the fault that was, if there were any offence, was his, and he would take it to himself, and therefore solemnly there desired of Almighty God, that all the blame of their proceeding might be laid to his charge, and upon him, and his house.

It the week following, the prisoners made a petition to his lordship, to have performance of his promise, and named, for their deputies, D. Bagshaw, Mr. Thomas Wright, and Mr. Fitzherbert, who, as they heard, was at London, in prison, or any one of them, but his honour's purpose was altered by the preachers, or by the council, at their persuasions, as you shall see in the week following.

CHAP. VI. The fourth sermon, preached by Mr. Fuller, the ford president's

chaplain.

THIS day the prisoners made more resistance for being drawn to the hall, than before they had done; which turned much more to their hurt. For the jailor's men crushed them against the wall, and, by forcibly striving, gave them many shrewd blows; the council being sat, Mr. Denby went unto them, and desired, that with their favour, he might depart; for he could not abide to hear either God blasphemed, or his conscience offended. They willed him to sit down and be quiet, but he

answered, that he would speak. Then, quoth Mr. Stanhope, speak if you dare. I will speak, said the other: and thus they changed twice or thrice, if you dare speak, and I will speak. Then some other of the council willed him to sit down, and stop his ears; and so he returned to his company.

Then Mr. Stillington rose up, and went to the council, and Mr. Middleton went with him, and he said thus unto them; behold I beseech you, the extremity we suffer. And if, (as I told your worships yesterday) we be not above measure troubled in our minds with this usage, for God's sake, deal otherwise with us. The council made light of his words, and then all the prisoners rose up, and went forth of the place, towards the lower end of the hall from them, but still to their further hurt; for the keeper's and the council's men hauled them back, in angry mood, and threw some of them down upon the floor, and beat them, unreasonably; so that Mr. Stanhope called unto them, and commanded them to hold their hands. Then the preacher began, and the prisoners began likewise to murmur, and make such a noise, that the preacher was forced to stay his speech. The council stood up, and commanded silence, and made the preacher to go forward with his sermon. Then the prisoners stopped their ears with their fingers till the sermon was ended. The sermon being ended, Mr. Stillington hastily stood forth, thinking young Palmer had made the sermon, and called for an answer of the sermon he had promised before my Lord. Mr. Fowler courteously answered, he had said nothing to offend him; the other said, he had not heard what he said, but thought him to have been another man. Whilst Mr. Stillman thus spoke, the people broke over the bars, and thronged about him on every side, so desirous they were to hear him speak: then all the company came to, and some spoke to the council, and some to others about them, that the council was much offended thereat, and rose up and left them.

After dinner, Mr. Danby was sent for to come before my lord, who reproved him very sharply for his speeches at the hall. He answered, that he spoke nothing to offend them, but only in defence of his conscience. In the end, notwithstanding he was my lady's cousin, and descended of honour, my lord commanded him to be put into a dungeon, (a dangerous and disgraceful place,) there to keep Christmas; and gave orders, that all the rest of the catholics should be locked up close prisoners in their chambers; and thus they celebrated the joyful time of Christ's nativity, and the beginning of the year of Jubilee.

CHAP. VII. What happened at the fifth sermon. From a letter of Mr. Stillington's to the author, the 11th of January, 1600.

SIR, This last Sunday, being twelfth-day, we were all hauled forth, save Mr. Holland, (a priest lately committed,) and one Mr. Sweeting, (in whose house he was taken,) and my lord came to the hall, and presently stood up and made a speech unto us, and mentioned what great favours were offered us by the state; also by what fair means we have been invited to hear the word of God, and our obstinate refusal, and contemning the same. He said he had entered into consideration of these

things, and, upon a desire he had to have us taught, together with the advice of learned men, assuring himself of the lawfulness of this course, and that he might draw us unto it against our wills, he had resolved thus to force us, and though we refused never so much, yet would he make us to hear, with our outward ears, and if any of us were unquiet, and disturbed the preacher, he would severely punish such a one. Hère you may observe, good sir, that the ministers are the causers of all these troubles unto us, and set my lord on us, knowing we may resist, and so bring him more against us, than ever by any persuasions they could themselves have drawn him, for they say, (being conscienceless men themselves,) that we refuse, only of will and of no conscience, which makes him to labour the more to overrule us.

When his honour had ended his speech, I stood up, and desired his lordship to give me leave to answer, and I would, by the same authority he had alledged out of Daniel, show our refusal good and lawful. My lord presently answered, I know, Stillington, that you are the ringleader, and ready to answer, but hold your peace, I command you; you are a prisoner, and, therefore, I say again, hold your peace. I sat down, and divers of our company began to speak. Mr. Danby said, we came not to hear your sermons, and, though you hang us, or burn us, we will not hear them. Thomas Clitheroe said, My lord, if we be heretics, your grandfather was an heretic. My lord had said a little before, that we were all heretics; and at these speeches all the company almost in the hall laughed. Old Mr. Palmer began his sermon, and we all stopped our ears, and then came the jailors and pursuivants, and my lord's men, and took down our hands and held us, and so sat we, striving and doing all that sermon-time.

6

When the sermon was ended, Mr. Fenton stood up, and desired his honour to perform his promise, so honourably made unto us before that assembly, that we might have some learned men from Wisbich, to answer for us ignorant laymen. My lord gave him no answer, but, without speaking of one word, rose up angry and left us, giving order to the jailor, that we should be kept very straight, and that none, without special warrant, should come at us. And yesterday his honour sent for me to the manor, and, after I had done my duty, asked me, what his promise was to us, for having a priest to dispute? I said, his honour promised us to have a learned priest from Wisbich, or London, whom we should name, to defend our cause against the preachers, or any seminary priest in the country that would, to come and go safe. You say truth, (quoth he,) but that is more than I may do, or is fit to be allowed in our state. But if you will have any seminary priest or jesuit, that is within my commission, let him come, and I will assure, I will give him leave to come and go, but how he will be looked to after, I cannot tell you.' I told his honour, I knew of none that would come in and deal in that matter. Then my lord told me, that some of our company had reported largely of his promise, and had said, that he had promised us a jesuit to preach. I answered, that I had heard no such thing, and I thought none of our company would so overshoot themselves. And so my lord bid me farewell.'

CHAP. VIII. The sixth sermon, made by the archbishop himself, the 13th of January.

THERE was a very great audience this day, at the hall. There were divers of the chief gentlemen of the country, there was the lord-mayor and his brethren, the aldermen of the city; there were many lawyers and other gentlemen, and of other people, a very great multitude. The prisoners were hauled down, and placed within the rails, and the bishop in a chair over against them, at the other end. And after the lord president was come in, the two old priests, Sir George Rains and Sir Christopher Wharton stood both up together, and proffered to speak. The bishop stayed them, and said, they should have time to speak, but they should first hear, for they were brought to that place to hear, and not to preach; and presently began the sermon.

Whilst this was in hand, my lord president called for Mr. Stillington, that he should be brought from his company and placed before him at his feet. When he came thither, he stood up, and earnestly sued to my lord, that they might depart. He desired his honour, to be well persuaded of them, they were very loth to offend his lordship, but more loth to offend God. Straight my lord grew offended, the rather, because it was in sermon time, and the other, on purpose, urged that speech at that time, thinking that all the company would have done the like, and that so the bishop, (being troubled,) might, sooner than others that were at command, have taken occasion to have left that exercise, as verily it is like he would, for the speech went, that he disliked of that course. Mr. Stillington again desired my lord, to give him leave to speak, and told his honour that he had no will to offend him; and this made the bishop hold his speech, and more grieved my lord than before; so that he grew very angry, and called him a rebellious fellow, and charged him to hold his speech. 'He again answered, that he was as ready to serve her majesty, as any protestant there, with his body and goods, in all lawful sort, and desired his honour so to think of him.' Divers willed him to be silent, and his brother, Mr. Robert Stillington, a notable puritan, came to him, and asked him, what he meant, so to trouble the company; but he gave him no answer, that I can learn of, but still applied to my lord. My lord struck at him with his staff, and called him rebel, and said, he would hang him the next week, at the jail delivery; and lastly, as marvelling at his standing, said, 'what, are you a priest, that you are so earnest? And one of the council, answered, I do think he is so. And then my lord stood up, and charged them upon their allegiance, to be silent, and not to stop their ears.

The bishop again began to preach, and the most of the prisoners stopped their ears. And Mr. Stillington, sitting at my lord's feet, laid both his hands upon his ears. Then he commanded two of his gentlemen, Mr. Chapman and Mr. Philip Stapleton, to hold down his hands, so, sitting of either side, they took his hands, and held them forth, that he lay all that sermon-time, as if he had been upon a cross. They took his bible from him, and found certain notes in it, whereof, was given out, that they touched matters of state, and that he should be hanged at that jail delivery, being the Tuesday following.

When the bishop had made an end, he willed Mr. Stillington should